Derek Morgan, 13 years old was sitting in his mother's kitchen on a sunny afternoon. He had nod school, indeed, they had vacation and Derek had begged his mom to let him go to the library. His mother, Fran Morgan frowned and turned around, a wet dish in her hand.

"Derek, what's wrong? You're acting strange lately! Did something happen to you I should know about? Did you get yourself into trouble again?"

"Nothing is wrong Ma, I just don't wanna go to the youth center anymore. I don't have fun there."

"But Baby Boy what about your football? You liked it so much."

13-year-old Derek sighed and looked at his mom who would never understand him. He didn't want to go there anymore because of Carl Buford, the man who used to molest him. No one knew about it. No one, but Derek and Carl.

"I still like football, but I don't wanna go alright ma? I have to go to the library. I have to learn for school okay? I have missed so many days and need to catch up with it that's all."

"Derek...you don't have school for the next weeks...since when do you want to learn? You can tell me if something is wrong Baby Boy. I'm your mom, I hope you know you can trust me."

"Please Mom..., " Derek begged her which caused his mother to sigh.

"Nothings wrong I just want to go to the library and read."

His Mom was watching him for a while until she shrugged and nodded.

"Come on give your mom a hug and then go, do what you have to do baby boy! But please. Don't get yourself into trouble!

"Relieved beyond words, Derek rose to his feet and walked over to give his mom a big hug. He hated being so close to other people ever since Carl had molested him for the first time and even embracing his mom made his whole body tense. Fran wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly to her body.

"Be home for dinner Baby Boy, alright?"

"Okay, Ma, "

Derek answered, pulling out of his mother's embrace. "See you later, bye!"

Derek grabbed all his stuff he would need and headed out of the door. He took his bike and cycled to the place, Carl couldn't come and get him: the library. Derek was safe there. It was silent. No one would touch him, it was just what he would need.

He arrived at the library very quickly and parked his bike. Soon he'd grabbed some books get wanted to read and sat down on his usual place. But before he could even start to learn, a girl, almost in his age maybe a little bit younger, caught his attention. She had honey-blonde hair and wore the most colorful clothes, he'd ever seen. Perhaps she was some kind of chubby, but everything Derek could think was, that she was beautiful. She was wearing colorful glasses and had some big flowers in her hair. Watching her, Derek didn't realize that the girl was looking at him too before it was too late. She smiled at him, grabbed her books, and came over to him.

"As you were looking at me, may I sit down here? You'll have a better look and I a place where I can read my book, "

she smiled at him, self-confident. Derek, who didn't even know how to smirk anymore, nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry, " he murmured under his breath and looked back to the book in front of him.

"No need to be sorry. I don't mind anyway if you like to look at me."

She sat down beside him and placed her book on the table.

"I'm Penelope by the way. I'm on vacation with my family for the next two weeks here in Chicago. Who are you? Do you live here? What are you reading?"

Derek totally overwhelmed with all these questions just looked up from his book and stared at her.The girl smiled at him kindly.

"Are you okay? Don't you want to talk? You can tell me, I'm not angry if you don't."

Derek cleared his throat and shook his head.

"I'm good. I'm Derek, " he answered.

Derek refused to trust other people after his experiences with Carl. He'd believed in this guy entirely and now all he felt was shame and pain in places he wouldn't want to feel pain.

"Hey, Derek. Nice to meet you, " Penelope answered, happy because he'd answered her.

" I like it here so far, it's not the most beautiful city, but it's nice anyway. Do you live here?" Penelope asked him again, and Derek realized he didn't feel uncomfortable with that girl beside him.

"Yes, my whole life."

"Cool! Are there any good places I should know?"

"Uhm..."

"Oh, wait! I have a so much better idea! You could show me! At least...if you want to, " Penelope added and grinned hopefully at him. Derek thought about it for a moment.

"I don't know...I'm no good company...," he answered, not sure how to make new friends anymore and mostly not sure if he was able to trust other people.Derek had lost all his friends in the past half-year, they didn't understand his strange behavior. Derek had been distracted and had lost his funny side. He'd been to himself most times and had gotten used to it. But now there was this girl who wanted him to join her.

"I bet you are! And if you're no good talker, well I can promise I will talk a lot for the both of us!" again, the girl smiled at him. It was so kind, and so badly, Derek wanted to say yes.

"Hey, cat got your tongue?" Penelope asked him with a soft smile, and he shook his head.

"No...I'm sorry."

Derek wasn't used to other people than his family anymore. He felt uneasy because he didn't know what to say and how to act. He sighed and averted his eyes from that girl in front of him.

"Derek?"

Soon he felt a hand on his and risked a look at it. Penelope's touch didn't make him feel uncomfortable for now. He hadn't accepted a touch without tensing for so long now. It almost scared him.

"Do you want to? I'm only here for the next two weeks. My parents are some kind of hippies they don't have much time for me anyway."

Derek looked at her. He knew he was acting strange for not saying a damn word, just staring at the colorful girl in front of him.

So, he nodded."Okay." he didn't know why his voice was hoarse within a few seconds but somehow, in Penelope's company, he forgot to think about it. She made it very easy for him.

Smiling she clapped her hands and grinned, before Mrs. Stewart, the librarian cleared her voice and shot them a look.

"Sorry, Madam!" Penelope grinned at the woman too. She turned around to Derek again, still beaming happily.

"When do we start and where do we meet? I'm in a hotel a few blocks from here. I don't have a cell by now, my parents don't want me to have one, but I have an email account. We could text us the times and places, that alright?"

Derek only nodded, anything was alright with him as long as he didn't have to go to the youth center anymore.

"Alright then. That's so awesome! Thank you, Derek, for giving me a chance to get to know your city!"

"No problem!" Derek still couldn't smile, but he felt something stir inside him he hadn't felt since that day Buford had made him drunk for the first time: happiness.He indeed couldn't wait to show Penelope some places in Chicago.They sat together in silence after that talk for the time. And when both had to go home, Penelope and Derek walked together out of the library.

"So, see you tomorrow?" Penelope asked him. She had given him her email address earlier, and Derek would text her as soon as his mother would give her okay to go on a few trips for the following two weeks.

Derek nodded and promised her to text her asap.

Penelope smiled and was totally alright with this. She was so easy to talk to.

"Bye then," Derek said, looking at her for one last time. Still, he thought she was beautiful. A thought he had for the first time when it came to girls. Something made her very special to him.

"Bye, Derek! Can't wait until tomorrow."

"Me too."

It was then that something happened, he hadn't thought would actually happen: Penelope wrapped her arms around him to give him a big hug. His body stiffened at the contact first, but somehow he was able to relax even if he couldn't put his arms around her too.

Penelope let go of him and smiled shyly at his direction.

"I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm just...it's a normal thing in my family..., "

Penelope began to explain herself, but Derek stopped her.

"Nah it's alright. Sorry."

He was a freak. Couldn't hug a girl who wouldn't harm him, who was kind to him. Derek couldn't explain to her why, but he felt like shit for not returning the embrace.

"It's alright, we give it another try tomorrow." Patiently, Penelope told him that, and he nodded slowly. So, he could prepare himself for that.

"Ok."They repeated their goodbyes, and Derek headed home with his bike. He wasn't late for dinner, so he was hoping his mom would allow him to spend time with that girl he'd just met.

"Hey, Baby Boy! Please set the table for me. How was your day at the library?"

Derek nodded and began to set the table just like his mother had asked him to.

"It was good. I met a girl..., " Derek began, but his mother interrupted him.

"A girl? Who is she? Do I know her?"

"Mom I was about to tell you..., " Derek groaned, and his mother grinned at him.

"I'm sorry Baby Boy. You're so silent the last time I'm just happy for you."

"You don't know her, Mom. She's on vacation with her family, her name is Penelope."

"What a nice name! So do you two meet again?"

Again Derek nodded.

"She asked me to show her the city..."

"Great! I hope you two will have a lot of fun!"

"But mom I might need some money..."

His mom turned around and smiled. Derek knew they hadn't had much money, for his dad was dead and his mother had to work all on her own to give her three children an acceptable life. He knew it wasn't right to ask her for that, but he wanted to make everything right with Penelope. Didn't understand why yet, but Derek wanted her to have a great time with him even if he was the worst company she could have looked for.

"That's what I was thinking. I have two things I need you to do for it."

Derek looked at his mother and waited until she began to tell him what she wanted him to so for some extra money.

"First: you invite Penelope for dinner. I want to get to know that girl at some point this week. And second: you'll go to your training twice a week. Deal?"

Derek sighed and nodded slowly. He was hoping he wouldn't have to go to the training anymore. Derek didn't want to go back to Carl, didn't want to get touched by him anymore. But he wanted to spend some time with Penelope, and so, he agreed.

"Alright, Ma."

"Great Baby. Now get your sisters here, and we will have dinner."Derek called his two sisters, and after dinner, Derek walked to his bedroom to send a text to Penelope.

Hello Penelope,We will meet tomorrow morning 9 am at the library.Derek

It took only seconds until he received an answer from Penelope. Again he felt something stir inside him. Excitement and happiness. He had something to look forward again.

Hello Derek,I'll be there, can't wait for tomorrow we'll have such a great day! I'm so excited! :)Penelope

Derek smiled, reading her answer and shut down his laptop. He was so tired and just wanted to sleep. So he changed his clothes, brushed his teeth and went to bed early.